The report provides a thorough analysis of the Alternative Accommodations landscape. Who are the big players and what is their presence in the top 5 U.S. markets? Throughout the report we draw a picture of the legal frameworks aimed to regulate the industry, and the supporters behind the regulation – from hotels to affordable housing advocates. Our report is accompanied by a deep data dive on the top 5 U.S. markets, looking at inventory and composition thereof alongside an insightful profiling of the Alternative Accommodations user.

Not all cities in the U.S., or the world for that matter, are necessarily laying out a welcome mat for short-term rentals. Some cities, like Anaheim, Calif., and Berlin, are in the process of or have finished instituting an all-out ban on short-term rentals. Other cities, like Galveston, Texas, and Savannah, Ga., have very few restrictions on short-term rentals.

Airbnb and its peers are currently engaged in a number of regulatory battles not only in the U.S. but in municipalities around the world. In its efforts to more or less gain legal acceptance for short-term rentals, Airbnb and its peers have lobbied cities and mayors to legalize short-term rentals through the collection and remittance of local lodging taxes. But even in cities where Airbnb has formed tax collection agreements, such as San Francisco, the platform is facing stiffer regulatory restrictions and backlash from the hotel industry, affordable housing advocates, and local politicians and communities.

Data on Inventory Profiling provided by Transparent: seetransparent.com Note: Unless otherwise stated, total figures may include duplicate listings across the three platforms analyzed.

What kind of an impact is Airbnb and its peers having on traditional hotels? That’s a billion-dollar question on the minds of many in the hospitality industry. While most data suggests Airbnb is having a relatively minimal impact on hotels, it also notes that Airbnb’s impact varies by market. In a mature city like New York City, for example, Airbnb has one listing for every five hotel rooms in the city, and the city generates the most revenue for the company than any other city in the U.S.

Not only is the hotel industry concerned about Airbnb’s impact but so are housing advocates and, even U.S. senators. In July, California Senator Dianne Feinstein, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren penned a letter to the Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, asking the FTC to “study and quantify” commercial activity on Airbnb, HomeAway Inc., VRBO, and other short-term rental providers.

This is the latest in a series of twice-monthly reports aimed at analyzing the fault lines of disruption in travel. These reports are intended for the busy travel industry decision maker. Tap into the opinions and insights of our seasoned network of staffers and contributors. Over 100 hours of desk research, data collection, and/or analysis goes into each report.

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